Stephen Kent (musician)
Encyclopedia
Stephen Kent is a professional didgeridoo
performer, percussionist, composer and recording artist.
, East Africa
, Australia
and the USA. His musical scores, composed for theatre, circus and dance companies, have received international acclaim and his work as a performer and recording artist has established him in the world music
scene, exploring a broad range of playing styles and musical genres. As a Master performer on the Australian Aboriginal Didjeridu he has pioneered its use in contemporary music across the globe collaborating with an unprecedented number of globally renowned musicians, including Airto Moreira
[Brasil], Zakir Hussain
(India), Habib Koite
[Mali], Omar Sosa
[Cuba], Leonard Eto [Japan], Choi Jong Sil [Korea], Steve Roach [USA] and many more.
Forming the band Lights in a Fat City (with percussionist Eddy Sayer & producer/sound engineer Simon Tassano), he made the first contemporary release of didjeridu music in the northern hemisphere (the landmark LP/CD Somewhere - These Records) in 1988.
With the band Trance Mission
, he joined the ranks of Jon Hassell
, Steve Roach, and Robert Rich
in exploring a primal, techno-tribal music. Trance Mission was co-formed in San Francisco in 1992 by Stephen Kent (Didjeridu/Percussion), Beth Custer (Clarinets/Trumpet), John Loose (Multi Ethnic Drums/Samples) and Kenneth Newby (Asian Winds/Didgital Atmospheres), making up the quartet which produced 3 globally acclaimed CDs on the City of Tribes label over as many years in the mid-nineties. After several European tours and many live appearances on the West Coast of the USA, Loose and Newby moved on to other projects while Custer and Kent continued as Trance Mission, with Eda Maxym (also of Beasts of Paradise) joining on vocals and Canadian Peter Valsamis on Drums/Samples. This version of Trance Mission produced a live CD, "A Day out of Time", in 1999. Three of the TM recordings were mixed and co-produced by long term Kent collaborator, Simon Tassano (Lights in a Fat City, Beasts of Paradise, Stephen Kent & Richard Thompson)
In the 21st Century Stephen Kent has continued to develop his solo career, releasing two more solo CDs, Oil & Water and Living Labyrinths, on his own Family Tree label. Recent projects include several years of combining with Tuvan
Throat Singing
sensations, Chirgilchin as Karashay, ongoing work with Moroccan musician Yassir Chadly, performing with Malian oriented bluesman Markus James and his group the Wassonrai (who include Kamale ngoni
master Mamdou Sidibe), Eda Maxym's Imagination Club, and the Del Sol String Quartet (with whom he plays the work of Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe
), who recently performing at the Library of Congress
in Washington DC.
His current projects include two trio groups oriented towards Indian music. One is Australian Bebop Ragas with Teed Rockwell (Chapman Stick
/Fretboard Tapping Instrument) and Sameer Gupta (Tabla
/Drums). The second, Baraka Moon, includes Geoffrey Gordon (Drums/Percussion) and Sukhawat Ali Khan
(Vocals/Harmonium
).
, and Badi Assad
. He produced and performed on the album Halcyon Days (1996) together with Steve Roach
and Kenneth Newby
, and performed on the soundtrack of the Terence McKenna
video Alien Dreamtime with Spacetime Continuum.
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
performer, percussionist, composer and recording artist.
Musical career
Kent's musical career has taken him across five continents, living at various times in the UK, SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the USA. His musical scores, composed for theatre, circus and dance companies, have received international acclaim and his work as a performer and recording artist has established him in the world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
scene, exploring a broad range of playing styles and musical genres. As a Master performer on the Australian Aboriginal Didjeridu he has pioneered its use in contemporary music across the globe collaborating with an unprecedented number of globally renowned musicians, including Airto Moreira
Airto Moreira
Airto Moreira is a Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist. Airto is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. He currently resides in Los Angeles.-Biography:...
[Brasil], Zakir Hussain
Zakir Hussain (musician)
Zakir Hussain , , is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer.-Early life:Hussain was born in Mumbai, India to the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha. He attended St...
(India), Habib Koite
Habib Koité
Habib Koité is a Malian singer, songwriter and guitarist. His supporting cast, Bamada, is a super-group of West African talent, including Kélétigui Diabaté playing balafon.- Musical style :...
[Mali], Omar Sosa
Omar Sosa
Omar Sosa is a composer, bandleader, and jazz pianist.-Biography:Sosa began studying marimba at age eight, then switched to piano at the Escuela Nacional de Musica in Havana, where he studied jazz. Sosa moved to Quito, Ecuador, in 1993, then San Francisco, California, in 1995...
[Cuba], Leonard Eto [Japan], Choi Jong Sil [Korea], Steve Roach [USA] and many more.
Forming the band Lights in a Fat City (with percussionist Eddy Sayer & producer/sound engineer Simon Tassano), he made the first contemporary release of didjeridu music in the northern hemisphere (the landmark LP/CD Somewhere - These Records) in 1988.
With the band Trance Mission
Trance Mission
Trance Mission is a World Music band with a jazz foundation, playing primal, techno-tribal music in a similar genre as Jon Hassell and Synaesthesia. Stephen Kent, the band's leader, is one of today's most respected and prolific didgeridoo performers, bringing the ancient Aboriginal sound into a...
, he joined the ranks of Jon Hassell
Jon Hassell
Jon Hassell is an American trumpet player and composer. He is known for his influence in the world music scene and his unusual electronic manipulation of the trumpet sound.-Life and career:...
, Steve Roach, and Robert Rich
Robert Rich (musician)
Robert Rich is an ambient musician and composer based in California, United States. With a discography spanning over 30 years, he is widely regarded as a figure whose sound has greatly influenced today's ambient, New Age, and even IDM music.-Early life:At an early age he thought he disliked music...
in exploring a primal, techno-tribal music. Trance Mission was co-formed in San Francisco in 1992 by Stephen Kent (Didjeridu/Percussion), Beth Custer (Clarinets/Trumpet), John Loose (Multi Ethnic Drums/Samples) and Kenneth Newby (Asian Winds/Didgital Atmospheres), making up the quartet which produced 3 globally acclaimed CDs on the City of Tribes label over as many years in the mid-nineties. After several European tours and many live appearances on the West Coast of the USA, Loose and Newby moved on to other projects while Custer and Kent continued as Trance Mission, with Eda Maxym (also of Beasts of Paradise) joining on vocals and Canadian Peter Valsamis on Drums/Samples. This version of Trance Mission produced a live CD, "A Day out of Time", in 1999. Three of the TM recordings were mixed and co-produced by long term Kent collaborator, Simon Tassano (Lights in a Fat City, Beasts of Paradise, Stephen Kent & Richard Thompson)
In the 21st Century Stephen Kent has continued to develop his solo career, releasing two more solo CDs, Oil & Water and Living Labyrinths, on his own Family Tree label. Recent projects include several years of combining with Tuvan
Tuvan
Tuvan can refer to:*Of or pertaining to Tuva*The Tuvans*The Tuvan language*Tuvan Syndrome, a fictional Star Trek malady that afflicts Vulcans, Romulans and Rigellians....
Throat Singing
Throat singing
Throat singing may refer to:* Overtone singing, also known as overtone chanting, or harmonic singing** Tuvan throat singing, a form of overtone singing* duet styles:** Inuit throat singing, a kind of duet as an entertaining contest...
sensations, Chirgilchin as Karashay, ongoing work with Moroccan musician Yassir Chadly, performing with Malian oriented bluesman Markus James and his group the Wassonrai (who include Kamale ngoni
Xalam
Xalam, also spelled khalam, is the Wolof name for a traditional stringed musical instrument from West Africa. The xalam is thought to have originated from modern-day Mali, but some believe that, in antiquity, the instrument may have originated from ancient Egypt...
master Mamdou Sidibe), Eda Maxym's Imagination Club, and the Del Sol String Quartet (with whom he plays the work of Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe
Peter Sculthorpe
Peter Joshua Sculthorpe AO OBE is an Australian composer. Much of his music has resulted from an interest in the music of Australia's neighbours as well as from the impulse to bring together aspects of native Australian music with that of the heritage of the West...
), who recently performing at the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
in Washington DC.
His current projects include two trio groups oriented towards Indian music. One is Australian Bebop Ragas with Teed Rockwell (Chapman Stick
Chapman Stick
The Chapman Stick is an electric musical instrument devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. A member of the guitar family, the Chapman Stick usually has ten or twelve individually tuned strings and has been used on music recordings to play bass lines, melody lines, chords or textures...
/Fretboard Tapping Instrument) and Sameer Gupta (Tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
/Drums). The second, Baraka Moon, includes Geoffrey Gordon (Drums/Percussion) and Sukhawat Ali Khan
Sukhawat Ali Khan
Sukhawat Ali Khan, son of Indian-Pakistani vocalist Ustad Salamat Ali Khan and nephew of Nazakat Ali Khan, is a classical singer Sham Chorasi gharana tradition, as well as a performer of North Indian and Pakistani classical music and related folk music. He began singing and playing the harmonium...
(Vocals/Harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
).
Recording artist
Kent has released several recordings as a solo artist and appears on recordings of group projects such as Trance Mission, Beasts of Paradise, and Lights In A Fat City. He has also done session work with artists such as Airto MoreiraAirto Moreira
Airto Moreira is a Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist. Airto is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. He currently resides in Los Angeles.-Biography:...
, and Badi Assad
Badi Assad
Badi Assad is a Brazilian singer, songwriter and guitarist in the jazz and worldbeat genres.She was born in the state of São Paulo, but grew up in Rio de Janeiro until she was twelve...
. He produced and performed on the album Halcyon Days (1996) together with Steve Roach
Steve Roach
-Collaboration albums:-Compilation albums:* The Lost Pieces – rarities collection* Truth & Beauty: The Lost Pieces Volume Two – rarities collection* Dreaming.....
and Kenneth Newby
Kenneth Newby
Kenneth Newby is a Canadian composer, performer and media artist. His art and research involve explorations in computational poetics, theorizing the role of encoded practices in new media, cultural encoding and the development of interactive and generative techniques for the composition,...
, and performed on the soundtrack of the Terence McKenna
Terence McKenna
Terence Kemp McKenna was an Irish-American philosopher, psychonaut, researcher, teacher, lecturer and writer on many subjects, such as human consciousness, language, psychedelic drugs, the evolution of civilizations, the origin and end of the universe, alchemy, and extraterrestrial beings.-Early...
video Alien Dreamtime with Spacetime Continuum.
Discography
- 1980 - Furious Pig - I Don't Like Your Face 12" EP [Rough Trade]
- 1988 - Lights in a Fat City Somewhere [These Records/City of Tribes '93]
- 1990 - Lights in a Fat City Simple Harmonic Motion (Video soundtrack. Independent)
- 1990 - Stephen Kent Ocho Elefantes [Burnt Earth Music]
- 1992 - Stephen Kent Songs From the Burnt Earth [Burnt Earth]
- 1993 - Lights in a Fat City Sound Column [Extreme]
- 1993 - Trance Mission Trance Mission [City of Tribes]
- 1994 - Spacetime Continuum, Terence McKenna & Stephen Kent Alien Dreamtime [Astralwerks]
- 1994 - Stephen Kent Landing [City of Tribes]
- 1994 - Stephen Kent/Various Artists Event Horizon [City of Tribes]
- 1994 - Trance Mission Meanwhile [City of Tribes]
- 1995 - Beasts of Paradise Nobody Knew the Time [City of Tribes]
- 1995 - Various Artists Event Horizon Psi [City of Tribes]
- 1995 - Beasts of Paradise Gathered on the Edge [City of Tribes]
- 1996 - Trance Mission Head Light [City of Tribes]
- 1996 - Stephen Kent, Steve Roach, Kenneth Newby Halcyon Days [Fathom]
- 1996 - Various Artists Event Horizon Tao [City of Tribes]
- 1997 - Stephen Kent Family Tree [Double CD - City of Tribes]
- 1998 - Badi Assad Chameleon (CD — Polygram Records)
- 1999 - Trance Mission A Day Out of Time [City of Tribes] April '99
- 1999 - Lights in a Fat City Memory Ground [City of Tibes] August '99.
- 2000 - Michel Portal, Stephen Kent, Mino Cinelu "Burundi" (Musisoft)
- 2004 - Stephen Kent Oil & Water (Family Tree)
- 2006 - Stephen Kent Live at Starwood (CD — Starwood Recordings/ACEAssociation for Consciousness ExplorationThe Association for Consciousness Exploration LLC is an American organization based in Northeastern Ohio which produces events, books, and recorded media in the fields of "magic, mind-sciences, alternative lifestyles, comparative religion/spirituality, entertainment, holistic healing, and related...
) - 2006 - Stephen Kent Live at Starwood (DVD — Starwood Recordings/ACE)
- 2007 - Stephen Kent Living Labyrinths (Family Tree)
- 2007 - Eda Maxym (with Stephen Kent) Imagination Club (Family Tree)